Serious feeds for serious challenges

October 17 2018

Following new research results, BioMar has updated its well-known product range for stressful conditions EFICO Plus 805 that mainly target sea bream and sea bass.

Special needs of the fish require special feeds. Winter, summer, handling, grading, sub-optimal conditions in the farm, etc., represent challenges that put the strength of fish to the test and compromise production parameters and profitability.

- It is impossible to avoid these challenging situations. But they can be anticipated and planned for by preparing before the tough times come, said Iannis Karacostas, Product Manager for marine species at BioMar EMEA division: - In this context, the need for testing, validating and improving our functional feeds targeting these situations becomes a priority. And this is exactly what we have done with EFICO Plus 805, our well-known functional feed for stressful periods that mainly target sea bass and sea bream.

A recent BioMar research project focused on documenting and improving this feed range. The project revealed a potential for further improvement of the efficiency of the product. In this project, beneficial effects on both liver health and growth were obtained by implementing a feed formulation that combined a lower nutrient density and the introduction of special micro-ingredients.

– This formulation includes a higher digestible protein/digestible energy ratio and a lower fat level. With his formulation, we obtained a reduction of the excess of fat storage in the liver, which is something that any fish farmer wants to avoid, particularly in sea bass and sea bream. Fat storage in the liver contributes to deteriorate not only the liver function and thus health status of the fish, but also the final quality of the fish, explains Iannis Karacostas.

The changes are now implemented in the formulation of EFICO Plus 805. This extremely high quality feed already contains potent micro-ingredients, immunostimulants and highly digestible raw materials. The recent enhancement enables the fish to take the most out the feed in conditions where even survival can be at stake.

– It matters to choose the right feed for the right period, says Iannis Karacostas. - Now that winter is coming, for example, sea bream face the risk of the winter syndrome. As a preparation step and to boost the resistance of the fish before winter period, we recommend the use of EFICO Plus 805 for a period of 4-6 weeks, that is from early October. This will not make the problem disappear, but we can contribute to help the fish go into the winter in a better condition. Different feeds target different situations, or work better under different conditions. Therefore, following a structured and documented feed program like the one BioMar offers that takes into account that we have seasonal changes throughout the year contributes to make the most out of your production.

- More research results are soon to come on the effect and requirements of essential fatty acids under challenging conditions. I am confident that very soon these results can positively impact on the fine-tuning and further improvement our EFICO Plus 805 product range, concludes Iannis Karacostas.

Customer service

Shortcuts

Follow us

biomar.com uses technical and analytical cookies for the purposes of statistical analysis, improving the user experience and usability of our website. By using biomar.com, you consent to our and third party use of cookies. For more information about cookies and your settings, follow the link below.